Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

Clarins Instant Sun Light Collection: Bronze Me, Baby (Aww, Yeah)

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

clarins instant sun light colour collection

Remember last summer’s bad ass Clarins Summer Fever collection? Gawd, I loved that release! It had a beach party vibe that felt very young and fun, and it was *so* poppin’ with its bright teal, purple, hot pink and orange colors.

With this summer’s Instant Sun Light collection, Clarins took a completely different route. Available now, the nine-piece release ($20-36) features a subdued palette of warm brown, coral, pink and gold shades in matte and shimmer finishes.

clarins instant sunlight bronzers summer glow shimmer palette

There’s a ton of powder blushes and bronzers in this collection, as the look focuses on glowy bronze skin rather than bright pops of color.

clarins instant sunlight lips eyes

The look is elegant and mature (it totally screams Chanel!), and it brings up images of sophisticated little black dresses, crystal champagne flutes, yachts and tuxedoed high rollas.

Initially, I was a little bummed that Instant Sun Light wasn’t as bright as last year’s Summer Fever, but after playing with six of the products I found there’s still a lot of great stuff here. It’s not as blingy, for sure, but it’s pretty, natural makeup, and I can totes get behind that.

Soleil Irise Shimmer Palette for Eyes, Cheeks and Decollete, $36

clarins instant sunlight soleil irise shimmer palette

Soleil Irise’s three shimmery shades (pink, coral and gold) look like sunrise in a palette. You can swirl the colors together and apply the mix as a highlighting powder on the cheeks and body, but I prefer to apply the colors individually as single washes of sunny color on my lids. It’s a tiny compact for $36, but the fine texture and rich color payoff make up for the steep price. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+

clarins instant sunlight swatches soleil irise shimmer palette
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What Are Your MAC Musts Haves? Friends & Family Sale Starts Today

June 16th, 2009 by Karen 62 Comments

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Fellow MACaholics, is your wish list ready for MAC’s latest Friends & Family sale?

Good online only, the promotion runs today through June 18. Use coupon code SUMO (or try SAVE25 if SUMO doesn’t work), et, voila — 25% off purchases made on maccosmetics.com (valid in the US and Canada).

If you’re not able to take advantage of the sale this time around, no worries; MAC holds these sales a few times/year.

Not sure what to get with your discount? Well, it’s the trying to decide that’s my favorite part. 🙂

Here are some ideas among products that are currently available…

My MAC Must Haves!

MAC Russian Red Lipstick ($14; $10.50 after discount): “When I finally got my hands on MAC’s Russian Red lipstick, I had a minor Madonna fan freak-out moment. Madge rocked the Russian Red in her late-80s Blonde Ambition era. Remember the Express Yourself and Vogue videos? I taped them on MTV and replayed the sh*t out of both until my mom yelled at me to ‘turn it off!’ Parents just don’t understand.”
MAC Wipes Take it All Off ($24.50; $18 after discount): “These wipes work great. As usual, MAC’s got game. A single MAC Wipe removes all of my makeup, even waterproof mascara, and smells fresh and clean (like flowers and soap). The wipes don’t leave a sticky film on my skin, either, like Pond’s Clean Sweep wipes do.”
Cork, Soba, Brun and Concrete aka a Few Great Non-Orangey Brown Eyeshadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I can’t live without my MAC browns, so I raided my stash and found a couple non-orangey options.”
MAC Fix+ Rose ($17; $12.85 after discount ): “MAC took spring and rose waters and infused them with minerals, and the resulting face spray feels about as refreshing on my skin as anything I could imagine.”
MAC Blot Film ($12.50; $9.30 after discount): “It cuts down on the shine and leaves skin looking super matte without leaving a powdery residue.”
MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder ($21; $15.75 after discount): “Prep+Prime Finishing Powder looks natural when I dust it on my face with a powder brush. The finely milled powder melts right into the foundation. It never looks caked on or heavy and doesn’t leave one of those white, ashy casts.”
Two of my favorite MAC Greens — Humid Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount) and Golden Olive Pigment ($19.50; $14.60 after discount): “When I wear green eyeshadow, I usually try to work it into some sort of smokey variation, but for St. Patrick’s Day today I thought I’d try something with a little shimmer.”
MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow ($14.50; $11 after discount): “Have you met MAC Amber lights? She’s a shimmery peach and bronze eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent collection.”
A few Mighty MAC Crease Brushes: “The 217 Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount), the 219 Pencil Brush ($22.50, $17 after discount), and the 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($22.50; $17 after discount)>.”
MAC Club and Woodwinked Eye Shadows ($14.50 each; $11 after discount): “I could write sonnets on both of these colors, as they’ve seen me through a lot over the past few years. Club, a shimmery duochorome, flashes from green to brown, and Woodwinked is a warm, shimmery gold. Today I paired ’em for this easy, breezy, work-friendly daytime eye.”
Get Eyes That Pop with MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50; $12.40 after discount): “MAC’s Cream Color Base in Pearl ($16.50) makes colors really pop, taking eyeshadow to a brighter, bolder, and more diva-superstar level. With Cream Color Base, your eyeshadow is like an A-list celeb; without it, it’s like Jen Bunney from The Hills.”

What are your MAC must-have products, and are you stocking up for the Friends & Family sale?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Still need help making a decision? This article suggests maybe some brushes. 🙂

Discounted Chanel Evergreen Palette, Two New Nail Polishes Coming Soon to Nordstrom

June 15th, 2009 by Karen 27 Comments

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Chanel Evergreen Palette without flash

Every summer a few of the big makeup lines release limited edition makeup kits and palettes exclusively for Nordstrom stores. They’re called Nordstrom Beauty Exclusives, and I just got wind of some new ones from Chanel.

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Chanel Evergreen Palette with flash

Here’s the Evergreen eye and lip palette ($45). It’s a six-pan palette with two eyeshadows (shimmery sea foam green and shimmery mint green) and four lip glosses (shimmery pink, shimmery bronze, shimmery rose and shimmery peach).

Buying the six items together like this means a huge savings, too, as most Chanel palettes cost at least $85.

Three cheers for Chanel! 🙂

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Chanel Muscat Glossimer

Also on the horizon: shimmery, peachy beige Muscat Glossimer ($27).

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Swatch of Muscat Glossimer

It was previously released overseas but wasn’t readily available in the US until now. You may be able to track down international products by contacting Nordstrom’s Chanel Makeup Studio on Oahu, which carries select products meant for sale overseas (click here to see a lip swatch of the shade).

I love the way Muscat Glossimer looks paired with smokey eyes…

And we may also see two new nail polishes.

I’m told that Rouge Noir ($23), a creamy blood red, resembles Chanel’s iconic Vamp shade but without the shimmer, and Rose Des Vents ($23) is a soft, rosy pearl.

Chanel’s Beauty Exclusives land July 17, but they’re available for pre-order right now.

Note: I heard a rumor that the Evergreen palette may not be around for long (*extremely* limited edition), so if you’re lusting after it, you should probably call or visit your Nordie’s Chanel counter soon.

Do any of these strike your fancy? 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Smashbox Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss SPF 15 Lasts As Long As Its Name

June 15th, 2009 by Karen 42 Comments

smashbox limitless long wear lip gloss spf 15 boundless endless nonstop

Like many makeup junkies, my lip gloss habit borders on “scary obsession.” It’s at the point where El Hub doesn’t even ~~notice~~ mention the tubes of stuff all over the house, in the car and sometimes in his jacket pockets, LOL!

Note: Ladies, when you find a dude who’ll carry lip gloss for you in his pockets without complaint, you should put a ring on that, fo’ reals!

smashbox limitless long wear lip gloss spf 15 boundless

But, I digress…

Lately I’ve been wearing a new lip gloss that just might be one of the coolest things since sliced queso — Smashbox Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 ($21).

I swatched the six colors a while back but only recently took the new shades out for a spin.

So far I’ve worn…

Boundless: a shimmery golden coral with a hint of pink
Nonstop: a shimmery hot pink
Endless: a shimmery, sheer plum

I think they’re kinda awesome!

As far as durability, Limitless *almost* lives up to its name. Smashbox says they last six hours on the lips; I say that’s being a little generous, but still.

I was able to stretch wear time out to six hours when I sipped drinks through a straw, refrained from snacking (mmm… Oreo cookies and milk…) and avoided rubbing my lips together; otherwise, wear time was more like four hours.

No big deal, though. In my book the addition of SPF 15 makes up the difference.

smashbox limitless long wear lip gloss spf 15 nonstop
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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, June 15

June 15th, 2009 by Karen 66 Comments

philosophy-i-think-you-are-wonderful

Mood:

*Almost* awake, but not quite there yet.

Something you may not know about me:

I have a stash of letters I’ve received from friends over the years, some of the notes more than 20 years old! I’ll dig them out when I’m feeling blue. That always helps to cheer me up. 🙂

Breakfast:

Two slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter.

Fragrance:

MAC Creations Hue in Naked Honey.

Eyes/lips/cheeks:

My left eye is still red and watering from bad allergies yesterday, so I’m skipping the eye makeup this morning. I am, however, all over the Smashbox Limitless Long Wear Lip Gloss in Boundless on my lips and Benefit Posie Tint on my cheeks.

Skin issue:

The skin around my eyes looks extra puffy, boo!

I’m lovin’ it (makeup related):

Chanel Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Lotus (a shimmery pinkish beige) from the Les Naturels de Chanel collection.

I’m lovin’ it (non-makeup related):

Stretching, Numi Mate Lemon Green Organic Green Tea (YUM!), the chirping sounds Tabs makes first thing in the morning, the lyrics from Beth Orton’s song, Sweetest Decline.

Working out today?

I’d like to go for a run with El Hub when he gets home from work tonight.

Weekly goals:

Get to bed by 10 every night, try not to have a nervous breakdown, and find a new fiction book to read.

Hi, ladies. I’m slowly warming up my mental engines here… Things are off to a slow start, but I’ll get there eventually.

Touch base with me in the Monday Poll, and let me know how you’re doing. Just copy the empty list, and paste it with your answers in the comments. 🙂

Gotta love Mondays!

Le list

Mood:
Something you may not know about me:
Breakfast:
Fragrance:
Eyes/lips/cheeks:
Skin issue:
I’m lovin’ it (makeup related):
I’m lovin’ it (non-makeup related):
Working out today?
Weekly goals:

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Beyonce Knowles: Her Best Hair (Part 1)

June 14th, 2009 by Karen 22 Comments

Beyonce Knowles: Her Best Hair?

Not even 30 yet (!), Houston’s own BeyoncÃ© Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981) already has more than 118 million records sold to date (combined solo career and Destiny’s Child). Younger than all of them, that puts her within striking distance of iconic recording artists like The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Pink Floyd and Mariah Carey.
source source
All that, and her career’s burning hotter than ever. She has more top tens than any other female recording artist this decade and just came in fourth on Forbes’ list of the 100 Most Powerful Celebrities of 2009, behind Angelina Jolie, Oprah and Madonna!

Not bad, Sasha Fierce.

Her look is always changing, whether it’s a tall beehive for a film role, long with big curls, straight with highlights, medium-length with tight curls or even bright blonde, she never keeps the same hairstyle for long (I’ll take the top voted styles from this poll and pit them against a second set of Beyonce’s hairstyles in Part 2 of this poll).

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Do you have a favorite Beyonce song? Right now this one’s mine! 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

21 Drugstore Beauty Tips

June 14th, 2009 by Karen 26 Comments

21 Drugstore Beauty Tips

The cosmetics industry calls it “trading down,” but most women call it common sense. The economy is prompting women to look more closely at budget alternatives to many of their favorite department store products.

Here’s a quick look at 21 budget beauty resources to help us save some scratch without having to sacrifice too much on quality. 🙂

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like…

21 Skin Care Tips

21 Makeup Tutorials

101 Wedding Makeup Looks

101 Hairstyle Tutorials

10 Fantastic Smokey Eye Tutorials

Beauty on a Budget: Advice from a Stylist: From the Fashion & Style pages of The New York Times, makeup artist Ann Orcutt shows how to “trade down” from department store makeup and drugstore without sacrificing on quality.